Lockstitch shoe sewing machine



Sept. 28, w37. l.. E. TOPI-IAM 2,094,030

LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 23, 1932 l5 Sheets-Sheet l ,(24 92 265 230 224 |l 2:.: y L 226 I.' I 5744 ef- 502V" Emmi@ ZZ emi' I 50o 26mg 98 Sept. 28, w37. L, E. TOPHAM LOGKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE .'15 Sheets-Sheet 2 original Filed raaf-Gln. 23, 1952 f Z 82 zeum' Maw Sept. 28, i937.A L. E. TOPHAM' LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE 15 sheets-sheet 3 Original Filed March 23, 1932 Wheat:

Sept. Z8, 1937. L. E. TOPHAM LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE" Original Filed March 23, 1932 l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l Il l l l 1 l l l /l 326 mineau' fau/ v Sept. 28, 1937. L. E. 'TOPHAM 2,094,030

LOCK-STITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE original Filed March 2s, 1932 15 sheets-sheet 5 Sept. 28, 1937.

L. E. TOPHAM LocKsTITcH SHOE SEWING MACHINE original Filed Maron 25, 1932 15 snets-sheet e L. E. TOPHAM A2,094,630

LCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE 15 sheets-'sheetj original Filed March 23, 1932 Sept. 28, i937.,

NSM QN N Sept. 28, 1937.

L. TOPHAM LOCKST'ITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed March 25, 1932 b Ff@ mined.:

15 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sept. 28, 1937. L. E. TOPI-IAM LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE Qriginl Filed March 25, 1932 l5 Sheets-Sheet 9 ven-lor Wiinedv g f WM Sept. 28, 1937. L. E. TQPHAM 12,0945030 LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE v Original Filed March 25, 1952 15 'Sheets-Sheet 1C sept. L, E. TOPHAM LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE `Original Filed March 23, 1932 15 Sheets-,Sheet 11 Sept. 28, 1937,

L. E. TOPHAM LOCKST-ITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE Griginal Filed March 23, 1932 l5 Sheets-Sheet 12 Sept.r 28, 1937. l.. E. TOPI-IAM 2,094,030

0 LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE original Fired March 25, 1932 15 sheets-sheet 13 Sept 28, 1937. L. E. T'oPHAM LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE O tginal Filed March 25, 1932 l5 Sheets-Sheet 14 my. fa

Wznesf Chas. T Olson Sept. 28, 1937. 1.-. E. ToPHAM A 2,094,030l

LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE l Original Filed March 23, 1932 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 Patented Sept. 28, 1937 STATS A'rsr oFFlcE LOCKSTITCH SHOE SEWING MACHINE Application March 23, 1932, Serial No. 600,654 Renewed November 5, 1936 41 Claims.

The present invention relates to lockstitch sewing machines which empl-oy a hook needle to draw loops of needle thread through the work, and more particularly, to sole sewing machines of the so-called McKay type, the hook needle of which is straight, and the Work support of which consists of a rotatable horn arranged to extend within the shoe, and provided at its tip with a needle threading device for laying the thread in the hook of the needle.

The object of the invention is to improve gen erally the operation of lockstitch shoe sewing machines of the McKay type, employing a rotary shoe supporting horn and a needle threading device in the horn. The usual practice in ordinary lockstitch sewing machines is to form and set each individual stitch before the thread is drawn through the work for the succeeding stitch. This necessitates the use of a thread measuring finger to engage the needle thread between the needle and the work to provide thread for one side of the needle loop as the needle retracts through the work. In sewing machines of the rotary horn type, however, there is no room available in the tip of a horn of practical size for accommodating, in addition to the customary needle threading whirl, a thread finger for measuring a supply of thread between the needle and the work and for releasing the thread as the threaded needle retracts through the work.

Accordingly, with this type of machine it has been the usual practice to arrange and actuate the stitch-forming devices in such a manner that, during the formation of each stitch, a loop of needle thread is left projecting from the work from which thread is drawn by the needle during its retracting stroke, the final drawing of the loop into the Work to set the stitch being accomplished either by the needle or by the shuttle 40 as the needle loop last drawn through the work by the needle is passed over the shuttle. Where this method of handling the thread has not been followed, it has been necessary to use an undesirably large needle in order to permit the thread An important feature of the invention, with these objects in view, contemplates the provision in a straight hook needle sewing machine having a rotatable horn of ordinary tip dimensions, of a needle looper in the horn mounted to move 5 toward and from the tip of the horn, and a' thread nger mounted at a distance from the tip of the horn for measuring a supply of thread between the needle and the work in order that each stitch may be formed and set in the work before the formation of the next stitch has been commenced.

An additional feature of the invention which, while intended primarily for use with the type of looper described, may be employed with any needle threading device mounted to rotate with a shoe supporting horn, contemplates the provision of mechanism for turning the needle during each needle reciprocation in accordance with the rotary movement of the horn, so as to present the barb of the needle in position for proper action of the needle threading device in the horn.

Other features of the invention include the use of a rotary cam shaft in the horn for operating the reciprocating needle looper in order to reduce the length and mass of the reciprocating parts; connections including a system of dierential gearing for operating the cam shaft in proper relation to the reciprocation of the needle; means for preventing a needle rotation sufcient to entangle the loop of needle thread as it is drawn from the work; and the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, certain of which, while adapted for use in sole sewing machines of the McKay type, are also capable of use with other types of sewing machines.

The several features of the present invention and the advantages obtained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art fromv the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustratel an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in sideeleva-l tion of the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a view in 45 vertical section on an enlarged scale of the shoe supporting horn illustrating the mechanism therein; Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a portion of the needle looping mechanism with the parts shown in two different positions; Fig. 5 is a View on a still larger scale of the tip portion of the horn shown in Figure 2, indicating the needle in looping position; Fig. 6 is a. perspective view of the needle looper; Fig. 7 -is a perspective View of the thread finger for laying the thread 55 across the end of the looper; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the thread finger supporting arm; Fig. 9 is a View in front elevation of the sewing head of the machine; Fig. 10 is a View in side elevation of a portion of the sewing head, looking from the right; Fig. 11 is a view in side elevation of the sewing head of the machine looking from the left; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism for maintaining the needle in proper angular relation with the other sewing devices, the parts being separated to more clearly illustrate the construction; Fig. 13l is a view in front elevation of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 12; Figs. 14 and 15 are, respectively, a side sectional view and a view from the rear of a locking device cooperating with the mechanism shown in Fig. 12; Figs. 16 to 20 inclusive are detail sectional plan views taken on a plane passing through the hook portion of the needle and illustrating the movements of the needle into its variousangular positions; Figs. 21 to 25 inclusive are detail sectional views showing respectively the positions assumed by certain parts of the needle controlling mechanism corresponding to the positions of the needle indicated in Figs. 16 to 20; Fig. 26 is a View in front elevation, partly in section, showing the take-up mechanism and thread clamps for the needle thread; Fig. 27 is a view in side elevation of the take-up mechanism and thread clamps shown in Fig. 26, a part of the casing and the wax pot being shown in section; Fig. 28 is a sectional plan view on an enlarged scale, of the thread locks and a portion of the mechanism for operating them in positions assumed on stopping the machine; Fig. 29 is a detail view of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 28, looking from the left; Fig. 30 is a detail view of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 28 looking from the right; Figs. 31 and 32 are fragmentary views of portions of the thread lock operating mechanisms taken along the line 3 I-3I of Fig. 28, and illustrating successive stages of operation; Fig. 33 is a sectional view taken on the line 33-33 of Fig. 11, looking from the front of the machine; Fig. 34 is a View in front elevation of a portion of the shuttle and the loop spreader actuating mechanisms; Figs. 35, 36 and 37 are views on an enlarged scale of portions of the needle looper and the thread finger in their respective positions after successive movements of the machine; Fig. 38 is a fragmentary view indicating the horn, needle and loop spreader in their respective positions as the needle withdraws from the work with the loop of thread; Fig. 39 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative relations of the take-up and the thread locks during the sewing operation While the needle loop is passing over the shuttle; Fig. 40 is a similar view showing the parts as the stitch is being set; and Fig. 41 is a View showing the same parts just before the machine stops with thread of the nal stitch not drawn into thework.

The lockstitch shoe sewing machine herein illustrated is similar in many respects to that disclosed in the application of Fred Ashworth, Serial No. 394,770, filed September 24, 1929 for Sewing machines on which Patent No. 1,914,936 issued June 20, 1933. The driving mechanism for the sewing shaft, the treadle and connections for drivingand disconnecting the sewing shaft, and the mechanism for feeding the work, are substantially the same as described in the application. A great many of the parts common to the two machines are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but inasmuch as they are fully i1- lustrated and described in the above application, they will be only briey referred to in the following description.

The illustrated machine is driven from an electric motor I2 through a clutch mechanism ndicated in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. This clutch mechanism. is controlled from a foot treadle I4 which is normally held in raised position by means of a spring I6. The clutch mechanism acts to connect and disconnect the motor with a shaft I8 and a sleeve 28 in the base of the machine, from which motion is transmitted to a vertical shaft 22 extending up to the sewing head of the machine. Rotation of the shaft 22 imparts a corresponding movement to a sewing shaft 24 for operating the needle, shuttle and other related parts.

The shoe to` be operated upon is supported on an angular horn 26 having an inclined upper portion enclosing needle threading devices. Motion is impart-ed to the needle threading devices through a hollow vertical shaft 26 connected through suitable gears to a horizontal shaft 30 and the vertical shaft 22 driven from the motor I2.

The sewing head of the machine is shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, and is provided with a straight hook needle 32, a presser foot 34, a loop taker in the form of a shuttle 36, to carry the needle loop over the bobbin or locking thread, a feed point 3l and a loop spreader 38 which is adapted to spread the needle loop tofacilitate its engagement by the shuttle.

As described, in the Ashworth application, the needle 32 is secured in a needle holder 39 at the lower end of a needle bar 40 mounted to reciprocate in bearings 42 and 44 to and from the work i in a vertical direction. The needle bar is reciprocated from a crank pin 46 on the end of the sewing shaft 24, through connections which are adapted to permit the needle to be disconnected from its driving mechanism at the top of its retracting stroke. The parts comprising these connections include a needle actuating lever 48 which is secured to the forward end of a rock shaft 50, and is connected through a link 52 to a block 54 connected to the needle bar 40. Also, at the forward end of the rock shaft 50 is a lever 56 loosely fulcrumed at the side of the lever 48, and a continuous reciprocatory movement is imparted to the lever by the engagement of the crank pin 46 in a cam, groove 58 in the lever 56. The lever 48 is caused to oscillate with the lever 56 through a. resilient connection comprising a coil spring 60 carried on the shaft 50 and connected at its ends to the lever 56 and the shaft 56, respectively. The spring 60 tends to move the needle actuating lever 48 upwardly with the cam lever 56. During the operation of the machine, these levers are further held against independent movement with relation to each other by means of a latch 62 which is pivotally mounted at'the end of the needle lever 48. This latch is so constructed that it cooperates at its upper end with a locking lever 64 to cause it to be engaged or disengaged at its lower end from ak pin 66 at the end of the crank operated lever 56. The locking lever is ixed at one end of a, shaft 61 and provided with an angular slot 68 to receive a cam roll 'I6 secured to the end of the needle actuating lever 48. The upper end of the "slot 68 being offset, the needle actuating lever will be permitted to move freely up and down while the locking lever is held in a position to the right, but will be held out of operation at the top of its retracting stroke while the locking lever is in the position shown i'n Fig. 9. The movement of the locking lever @d to locking position also moves the latch 62 away from the pin G6 on the crank operated lever 56, so that the sewing shaft may continue to rotate without operating the needle.

The presser foot 3d is secured to a block 'E2 on the lower end of a vertically movable presser foot bar lll, and is forced downwardly against the Work by means of a spring "i6 coiled about the presser foot bar, and also by a spring 1S (see Fig. 11) surrounding and being secured at one end to a shaft 80, and at the other end to an adjustable collar 82 on the machine. The spring '|8 acts upon the shaft Si! to move an arm 83 fast on the end of the shaft. rI'he arm B is connected to the block 'i2 at the end of the presser foot bar, so that the pressure exerted by the spring 'i8 may be adjusted according to the position of the collar 82. The presser foot bar is raised against the tension of these springs by mechanism described more fully in the above referred to application, and including a cam lever B (see Fig. 33) loosely fulcrumed on a Xed shaft 86 and provided with a cam roll 88, a cam 8B on the sewing shaft 2li, a spring 92 (see Fig. ll) surrounding the shaft Sii and tending to hold the cam' roll 88 in engagement with the cam QB, a link 9d connected between the arm 85| and an arm S6 secured to a rock shaft 98, an arm iii@ secured to the other end of the rock shaft S3, a pin |92 extending from the arm Mii?, and mechanism attached to a bracket me rigidly secured to the presser foot bar lil. rThe mechanism on the bracket lilli maintains contact with the pin m2, causing the pin to release the presser foot by a uniform amount regardless of the thickness of the work during each stitch-forming cycle while the work is being fed through the machine.

The feeding mechanism acts through the feed point 37 which is clamped in a carrier |66. The carrier is slidably mounted for vertical movement toward and away from the Work in a guide frame |08 which is pivotally mounted on the machine. The frame is oscillated to impart feeding movements to the feed point by a feed lever I in the form of a bell crank loosely mounted on the hub of the needle locking lever 612. The vertical arm of the feed lever is provided at one end with a slot ||2 engaging the roll 'Eil on the end of the needle actuating lever l|3 to impart an oscillatory movement to the lever, and its horizontal arm has a block and slot connection with an arm of the frame |03. Movements of the feed point 3l toward and away from the work are imparted through connections from the shaft 98 for actuating the presser foot lifting lever. These connections include a bell crank lever M connected to the feed point carrier |96 by a link H6, a link l i8 pivoted to the other end of the bell crank I4, and an arm me secured to the presser foot lifting shaft 98. The feed point is therefore operated to fe-ed the work in timed relation with the raising and lowering of the presser foot so that the feeding operations may take place when the work is released from the pressure of the presser foot. The usual hand lever |22 is also provided for rocking the shaft 93 and manually releasing the presser foot.

The loop spreader 38 is operated across the path of the needle in substantially the same manner as described in the above noted application, being secured at the end of a carrier i 2li (see Fig. pivotally mounted on parallel links |26. The rearward link of the pair is provided with a cam roll engaging a cam |728 mounted to oscillate with a shaft journalled in a bracket on the machine. The shaft |30 (see Fig. 34) is operated by an arm |32 fast to the shaft and connected at its outer end to a downward extension from the needle actuating lever 48 by an adjustable link |34. As thus far described, the machine does not differ materially from the machine disclosed in the prior application above referred to.

The principal feature of the present inventionA relates to the provision of a thread measuring looper mechanism within the horn 25, the usual needle threading whirl, having been replaced by a comparatively thin forked looper, indicated at |36, mounted in a slideway extending along the upper inclined portion of the horn for reciprocation toward and from the upper end of the horn. The upper end of the horn is constructed with the usual needle opening |38 to permit the needle to enter the horn in receiving the thread, and in the illustrated embodiment of this feature of the invention, the needle looper |36 is operated to move from a retracted position to a position in which a portion of thread extending across its forked end is carried beyond the needle opening |3 as indicated in Fig. 5. After the needle has entered the horn, the needle looper 3G retracts in laying the thread within the barb of the needle, the needle at this time, as will be described, facing with its open hook in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the upper p-ortion of the horn is pointed. The thread, indicated at Mid, extends downwardly through a passage |42 (see Fig. 37) in one side of the looper, then over pulleys IM and |413 rotatably mounted in the horn (se-e Fig. 2) and downwardly through the hollow vertical shaft 28 to a source of supply |58 (see Fig. l). To provide a length of thread between the needle and the looper |3, a thread measuring finger l5@ is arranged to move across the end of the looper as the looper is advanced toward the tip of the horn. The thread finger |50 is in the form of a lever and is carried upon a lever arm |54 pivotally mounted at its lower rear end on a pin |58 secured in the frame of the horn. The thread nger at its upper forward end is provided with a downwardly extending right angle portion |62, which when actuated relatively to the looper after the looper has returned from the upper end of the horn, engages the thread eXtending from the passage |42 in the looper to form a bight in the thread at one side of the looper. The pivot pin |58 about which the thread finger carrying arm |54 swings is arranged so that a swinging movement of the arm about its pivot, while the looper is advancing, will carry the downwardly extending portion |62 of the thread finger across the path of the looper from one side of the looper to the other at a fixed distance from the tip of the horn, and during this movement the thread is engaged with the forked ends of the looper, as indicated in Figures 3, 4, 35, 36 and 37. To actuate the thread finger in the proper time relation to the reciprocating movements of the looper, the lever arm |54 is provided with a cam follower |59 which engages a suitably shaped cam slot Ii formed in the looper, the arrangement being such that as the looper advances towards the tip of the horn the thread finger is actuated to lay the thread across the forked end of the looper, as indicated in Figure 36, and then during the continued forward movement of the looper, the thread finger remains stationary and the required amount of thread is drawn from the supply, as indicated in Figure 37. In order to release the bight of thread held by the thread finger, the thread engaging end of the thread finger is moved upwardly across a projection |64 of the horn (see Figures 2 and 5), thereby sweeping the thread from the thread finger. To permit the thread finger to be moved in this manner, it is pivotally mounted midway its length in the lever arm i54 by means of a horizontal pivot pin |55 engaging a bearing in the lever arm. The thread arm is held securely against lateral movement with relation to the lever arm |54 by a tongue |56 at the forward end of the lever arm which engages a vertical slot |51 formed on the thread finger.

In order to reciprocate the looper, a continuously rotating cam disk |66 is mounted on a shaft |61 fixed in the lower portion of the horn. The cam disk is provided with a cam slot |68 on one face from which movement is imparted to a bell crank |10 pivoted on a short shaft |1| secured in the horn. The lever |10 is provided at its lower en-d with a cam roll engaging the cam slot |63 and at its upper end with an enlargement |12, tting within a correspondingly shaped opening |14 at the lower end of the looper |36. To move lthe thread nger lever lacross the projection |64 in the horn to release the thread, a downwardly and rearwardly extending arm of the thread iinger lever is provided with a stud |16 engaging a slot |18 formed in a cam disk |80 rotatably mounted in an intermediate part of the horn. The cam disk |80 is formed on its outer surface with gear teeth meshing with corresponding teeth at the upper end of a rack ro-d |62 provided at its lower end with an opening to receive an enlarged end |84 of a second bell crank |06. The bell crank |86 is pivotally mounted on a shaft |88 fixed in the horn and a downwardly extending arm of the bell crank carries a cam roll engaging a second slot |69 in the cam disk |66.

The cam |68 for operating the thread finger and looper is rotated by an angularly disposed hollow helical gear |90 meshing with gear teeth on the outer edge of the cam |66. The hollow gear |90 is forme-d with an integral hub |92 rotatably mounted in a sleeve |94 secured in the horn. Within the hollow of the gear |90, an internal gear 9| is formed meshing with a planetary gear |96 rotatable on a stud |98 eccentrically mounted on a bevel gear 200. The bevel gear 200 is mounted for rotation outside a sleeve 202 secured within the frame of the horn, and meshes with a corresponding gear 204 attached to the upper end of the hollow vertical shaft 28. Rotation of the shaft 28 imparts a corresponding movement to the bevel gear 200 through the gear 204 and rotates the looper and thread finger operating cam |66 through the planetary gear |96 and the hollow gear |90.

The horn 26 is mounted on the machine to rotate a complete turn of 360 degrees, and is provided with a downwardly extending hollow spindle 2|2 having ball bearings 2|4 between the upper and lower ends of the spindle and the frame of the machine. The shaft 28 is journalled within the spindle 2|2 to rotate about an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of the horn, which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the needle.

To prevent rotation of the horn about its bearings in the machine from effecting the position of the cam |60 for operating the needle looper and thread finger, relative to the position of the needle in its reciprocating movement toward and away from the horn, a differential system of gearing is provided comprising a ring gear 2|6 formed integrally with the machine frame, a bevel gear 2|8 with which the gearu 2|6 meshes attached to the lower end of a spindle 220 rotatable within the sleeve 202, a gear 222 fixed to the upper end of the spindle 220 and the planetary gear |96 with which the gear 222 meshes. This system of gearing causes the planetary gear to normally revolve about the gear 222. The position of the gear 222, however, will change as the horn is turned, thereby correcting the position of the gear 9| which meshes with the planetary gear |96 in accordance with any movement imparted to the bevel gear 200 by reason of the rotation of the horn about the driving gear 204.

In the machine described in the Ashworth application above referred to which employs a needle threading whirl at the tip of the horn, the whirl is continuously rotated to lay the thread within the hook of the needle. This whirl is driven through shafts and gearing to cause the whirl to turn uniformly through the same angle of rotation with respect to the needle While the lower end of the needle is positioned within the horn. The system of gearing for connecting the driving shafts to the needle whirl is so arranged that the needle whirl remains stationary while the machine is stopped even though the horn is turned about its mounting on the machine. rThrough this system of gearing the rotation of the horn does not interfere in any way with the operation of the needle threading whirl. In the machine illustrated herein, in which the looper is mounted in the upper inclined portion of the horn to reciprocate towards and away from the tip of the horn in laying the thread within the hook of the needle, the looper must necessarily be rotated with the horn. Consequently, in order to lay the thread with certainty within the hook of the needle, mechanism is provided for turning the needle before it enters the horn to a uniform angular position with respect to the horizontal component of movement of the needle looper in the horn, so as to cause the needle hook to face in the same direction with respect to the line of feed as the direction in which the upper portion of the horn is inclined. Such a position, for purposes of illustration, is shown at 32a in Figure 38 in which the needle has been turned 90 degrees. The turning movement imparted to the needle is varied according to the angular position of the horn by connections between the horn and the needle turning mechanism. These connections are operated from the spindle 2|2 of the horn, as will be hereinafter described.

The mechanism for turning the needle is illustrated in the left portion of Figure 12, in which the upper end of the needle bar 40 is shown as being in the form of an elongated pinion 224 meshing with a rack 226. Movement of the rack in one direction or the other causes the needle bar 40 to rotate by a corresponding amount without effecting the reciprocating movement. In order to permit free rotation of the needle reciprocating bar, the bracket 54 (see Fig. 9) connected to the needle actuating lever 48 is formed with a central opening in which a block 228 is mounted between horizontal surfaces of the bracket, and is clamped securely on the needle reciprocating bar 40. The needle bar is thus permitted to rotate as well as to reciprocate in its bearings on the machine.

During its upward stroke, the needle is returned to a xed angular position in which it presents the needle loop properly to the loop spreader andr the other thread handling devices, this position being indicated at 32h in Figure 38. As a convenient means for timing the rotations of the needle properly with relation to the reciprocating movements of the needle, the rack 226 of the needle turning mechanism is actuated through suitable connections from the needle actuating lever 48. These connections, as has been indicated, are controlled by the rotary movements of the horn.

The rack for rotating the needle is formed at its ends with upturned curved portions. The left hand curved portion is pivotally mounted on an arm 233 fulcrumed on a pin 232 fixed in the frame of the machine. The rack 22h` is guided at its lower left end within a slot formed inv an intermediate part of the arm 220. The right hand curved portion of the rack 226 is pivotally mounted on a pin 234 carried on an upwardly extending arm of a bell crank 236. The lower right end of the rack is guided in a slot in the bell crank 236, similar to that in the arm 23D. The bell crank 236 is secured to a horizontal shaft 238 having bearings in the frame of the machine, and is operated by an arm of the needle actuating lever 48 through a pair of inter-connected links 240 and 242, one link being pivotally connected at 244 to said arm, indicated at 246, extending from the needle actuating lever 48, and the other link being pivotally connected at 248 tol a downwardly extending arm of the bell crank 236. The two links are connected together by a third pivot pin 250.

The link 24! is slotted at its ends and both links 240 and 242 are cut away at their central portions so that they may lie closely together with theirv pivots 244 and 248 in alignment with each other at one limit of the movement of the actuating arm of the needle lever. In order to support the link 24B more rigidly, an arm 252 extends from the hub of the lever 48 to overlap the outer edge of the link 24B and the pivot 244 is divided between the arms 246 and 252. A suiiiciently large clearance space is thus provided between these two arms to permit the pivot 25B to be swung freely within the hub of the lever 4S into any position in the recess so formed.

The needle is turned by the rack 226 engaging the pinion 224 in one direction as the needle actuating lever operates to move the needle towardl the work and is turned in the other direction as the hook of the needle withdraws from the horn, so that the hook of the needle will assume the proper angular position to receive Successfully the thread from the needle looper and, upon its retracting stroke to present properly the loop of needle thread to the loop spreader and shuttle. The pivotal connection 250 of the links 241i) and 242 is supported at the llower end of a link 256, the

upper end of which is mounted upon a pivot pinl 260 at the outer end of an arm 258 projecting from a hollow shaft or sleeve 262 surrounding the shaft 238. The pivotal connection 250 of the links 24B and 242 thus moves about the pivot pin 260 as a center when the links are actuated to reciprocate the needle rotating rack 226. As Vthe needle actuating lever 48 is oscillated to actuatethe needle, the needle rotating rack 225 will be actuated through the links 249 and 242 from the arm 246 on the hub of the needle actuating lever, and it will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 12 and 13 that the extent of the movement imparted to the rack will depend upon the position or path of movement of the pivotal connection 255 of the links with relation to the pivotal axis of the needle actuating lever or, in other- It will also be words, oi the axis of the shaft 50,

obvious from an inspection of these gures that the direction of rotation of the needle during its downward movement will depend upon which side of the axis of the shaft 50 the pivotal connection 250 or its path of movement is located. The position of the pivotal connection 250 is controlled from the horn spindle through connections hereinafter described, acting to shift the position of the arm 258 carrying the pivot supporting link 255.

The manner in which the rotation of the needle is controlled by adjusting the position of the pivotal connection 25H3 of the links 240, 242 will be more clearly understood from an inspection of 'r'gures 16 to 25 inclusive which indicate various angular positions of the needle at the limit of its downward stroke, together with the corresponding position of the pivotal connection 250. As indicated in Figure 16, the needle at the limit of its downward stroke has rotated through a few degrees only in a counter-clockwise direction and, during its upward stroke, will rotate through a few degrees in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arr'ow ci, to bring the needle to the position marked zero, which is its position at the upward limit of its stroke. To cause the needle to assume the position indicated in Figure 16 at the limit of its downward stroke and to rotate in the direction of the arrow a during itsupward stroke, the pivotal connection 25E! has been adjusted to the position indicated in Figure 21. To decrease the amount of rotation imparted to the needle, the pivotal connection 25B is adjusted in a direction indicated by the arrow b` in Figure 21. When the pivotal connection 250l is brought into alinement with the axis of the shaft 5t, as indicated in Figure 22, no movement of rotation will be imparted to the needle during itsl downward and upward movements, and the needle will assume the position indicated in Figure 17 at the limit of its downward stroke. To cause the needle, during its downward stroke, torotate a few degrees in a clockwise direction to the position indicated in Figure 18, and during its upward stroke to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction to its original position, as indicated by the arrow a, the pivotal connection 250 is moved tothe position indicated in Figure 23. Continued movement of the pivotal connection 25! in the direction indicated by arrow bi on Figure 23, will increase the amount of rotation imparted to the needle in a clockwise direction during its downward movement. With the construction illustrated in the drawings, the limit of such movement is reached when the pivotal connection 250 reaches the position indicated in Figure 24. With the pivotal connection in this position, the needle, at the limit of its downward stroke, will assume the position indicated in Figure 19 and, during its upward stroke, will rotate in the direction of the arrow a, through nearly 180 degrees to its original position. By moving the pivotal connection 250 in the direction indicated in Figure 24, by arrow b', the rotation of the needle in a clockwise direction during its downward stroke will be gradually decreased to zero and after the pivotal connection passes the axis of the shaft 50, the needle will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction during its downward movement, the extent of which rotation will increase until it has reached nearly 180 degrees, as indicated in Figure 20, at which time the pivotal connection 250 will be in the position indicated in Figure 25.

The rearward end of the hollow shaft 262 is provided with an arm 264 connected with a sec- 

